Our Story
Trent St. Church
King St. Church
The Free Methodist Society in Frankford was formed in the spring of 1917 when the local Bible Christian Society invited the Free Methodist Church to take over the evangelical work in the area. As a result the Frankford Society was organized.
The church building was a one-room structure on the East Side of Trent St. in Frankford. A large wood-burning box stove heated it. A driving shed at the rear stretched toward the river. A parsonage was built at 27 King St. N. in 1921. Some ten pastors served appointments in these facilities.
A new church was built in 1945 at 26 King St. N., directly across from the parsonage. At the front of the church you were met with a large flight of cement stairs. Inside the entrance was a lobby with more stairs taking you to the basement that consisted of a small classroom on both sides and a full auditorium, which was later divided into four rooms. In 1963 this building underwent more changes; the front steps were enclosed and additional classrooms were added, washrooms were put inside and an oil furnace was installed. Later further changes were made to the platform and basement to accommodate the growing needs of the church family. A new parsonage was built in 1972.
An unprecedented revival began in the late seventies. It inspired the beginnings of a new building program. In May of 1981 the Official Board under the leadership of the late Rev. Arthur Voteary commissioned the Trustees to act as a Search Committee for a new building site. In the spring of 1982, the present forty acres along County Road 5 were purchased. Gerald Donnell and Merle Moore ably led the Building Committee and congregation through the stages of building.
In the spring of 1983, twenty-five acres were reforested and in August of 1984 three and one-half acres were rezoned for church use. In March 1985, with the hiring of Don Hawkey Construction Company, construction began. The Building Committee coordinated over 3,000 hours of volunteer trade, labour and equipment.
The church was completed by December and on December 1, 1985 celebrated a “Dedication Day.” Bishop Donald N Bastian officiated this dedication with 431 people in attendance. The new worship facility seats 250 including the choir. Structurally the building can expand to seat 450 people. God was good in providing us with this church, a facility that would last many years to come.
Here it is almost twenty-five years later and we are still blessed with this facility. Our church has undergone some improvements and updates. In 2005 a more efficient heating system was installed and air conditioning was added; the parking lot even got paved. As we come to this facility to worship God, we pray that God will continue to bless our church and our desire to serve in our daily lives, reaching out to the community with God’s love and salvation.
Note: Many thanks to Leone Twiddy (who has since gone on to be with the Lord) and Pastor John Baker for keeping notes and records of the history of our church.
272 Mill St. Church